Corn + Cornmeal Soup

Right after I watched Julie & Julia late in the afternoon the other day, I went to the kitchen (which once again proves that the film inspires one to cook something) and opened the first drawer in which I keep the dry ingredients and saw an unopened polenta bag. I remembered the only ear of boiled sweetcorn left in the fridge and the idea of making corn + cornmeal soup came to me. Flickering through the recipes on the net I decided that I would get the best result by pureeing the soup and so have a smooth and thick soup in the end. And I did. However, I must admit that the amount of butter I used for the soup was decided under the film's effect. You'll understand what I mean if you watch the film one day:

"You can never have too much butter."

If you ever give this recipe a try, you'll see how quick it is to prepare with such a great taste and consistency let alone the nutritious values it offers.

Ingredients
1 ear sweetcorn, boiled
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon polenta
4-5 cups water or vegetable broth
salt
pepper

Directions
1. Scrape the corn kennels from the con using a knife. Set them aside.
2. Boil the water and let it aside.
3. Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat.
4. Add the olive oil.
5. Add the onion and garlic and stir them until translucent for about 3-5 minutes.
6. Add the kennels and keep stirring for another 2 minutes.
7. Add the water or vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
8. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Add in the polenta and keep stirring until the soup thickens and polenta is cooked for 5 minutes.
9. Simmer for another 2 minutes and remove from heat.
10. Using an electric blender/food processor/immersion blender,  puree the soup.
11. Garnish with parsley or any other herbs you like and serve hot and serve hot!

Tip: If you are not confident enough with cornmeal recipes, keep in mind that cornmeal is traditionally mixed with four times its volume of water, broth or milk. So, do not get confused or disappointed when your soup gets thicker when it is colder. It's quite normal since cornmeal continues to absorb water even after it is cooked. What you can do is to add some more liquid and simmer again. I usually add some milk which makes the soup more creamy.